Refrigerator door assembly



Nov. 7, 1950 l J. w. NoRRlsH 2,528,705

REFRIGERATOR DOOR ASSEMBLY Find July 2:5, 1948 /20 ELE; :L

a E L ,t extend into the interior oi' the door.

Patented Nv .'1, i950 REFRIGEBATDR DOOR ASSEMBLY John W. Norrish, Lockland, Ohio, assigner to Avco Manufacturing Corporation,

Mich., a corporation of Delaware Detroit,

Application J uly- 23, 1948, Serial No. 40,372

4 claims. (o1. zii-35) This invention relates to a-refrigerator cabinet l construction and more especially to a refrigerator door and door seal assembly.

An object of this invention is to provide a door gasket and door assembly whereby the door gasket may be mounted to the door without being penetrated by any screw or other fastening means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel door and gasket assembly whereby the door is constructed and arranged to include a resilient portion which cooperates with the door seal both to retain the gasket upon the door and to provide an improved door seal.

A further object of this invention is to provide a' doorlgasket and door assembly including. an inner door panel including a resilient portion adapted to exert pressure on a ilange of the door gasket to provide an improved seal when the door is closed.

A still further object of this invention is to r provide a door gasket and door assembly in which the inner door panel includesv a resilient section constructed and arranged to provide a pair of laterally disposed pressure points upon closing of the door.

These and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the gasket and door assembly arrangement of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of a door taken along the line II--II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section illustrating the construction with the door in closed position.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description, the reference numeral 9 designates a door for a refrigerator cabinet I0 including a tion is mounted with a portion of the base of the U adjacent one side of ilange I3 and in contact therewith and with a second Portion of the base extending laterally of flange I3 in substantially the same plane as the flange. 'I'he sides I5 and IG of the U-shaped door frame are positioned 2 frame Il may be welded to flange I3 or to that portion of door panel I2 contacting side AIl of the door frame. v

Door I0 includes an inner panel Il of thin, still. heat resisting material such as any well known plastic or paper impregnated with a resinous condensation product. There are many such products known to the industry -under various trade names and the particular composition forms no part of this invention. Door panel Il extends substantially to the outer margin of door III in such manner as to overlap ilange I3 throughout the periphery of the door.

A plurality of screws or other fastening means function to mount the inner door panel to the door frame. As shown, door panel Il is moulded or otherwise formed to include a resilient section Ila laterally offset outwardly from the fastening means and providing an extension overlying ange I3 entirely about the periphery of the door. Section Ila is normally biased in a direction away from flange I3, as shown in Fig. 2, but is adapted to move-toward the iiange upon closing of the door. (See Fig. 3.) A boss Hb, formed on the resilient section of panel I1, provides a raised rim extending concentrically with and entirely about the periphery of the inner door panelf Boss IIb includes a concave surface on the underside thereof which cooperates with a door gasket to retain the same in a xed position on the door. A rubber sealing gasket disposed at the outer margin of the inner door panel comprises a tubular portion 2| of substantially crescent-shaped cross section and includes an extension 22 and a flange 23 connected by a web v24 to the tubular portion. A raised boss 25 provided on the end of flange 23 cooperates with concave surface I8 to retain the gasket on the door.

In assembled relation, ilange' 23 of the door gasket is interposed between flange I3 and door panel Il such that boss 25 is positioned directly beneath concave surface I8. With this arrangement, the sealing gasket is secured to the door without being penetrated by screws or other fastening means. Boss 25 prevents accidental removal of the door gasket when the door is open.

Upon closing of the door against breaker strip II, a pair of laterally disposed pressure points 28 and 21 are provided to insure a more positive door seal than that provided by door seals of common construction. As will readily be understood, closing of the door forces rim I'Ib inwardly toward flange I3 due to compression of the tubular portion of the door gasket, Rim Ilb will there- Door fore exert pressure upon the underside of the tubular portionentirely about the periphery of the door. At the same time, resilient section I'Ia will be forced toward flange I3. compressing gasket flange 23 against the outer door panel. In this manner a pair of laterally disposed pressure points 28 and 21 are provided, one on the gasket flange and one onthe tubular portion of the'gasket. `Thus, closing of the door results in compression ofange 23. and the underside of tubular section 2l of the door gasket to insure a positive door seal entirely about the periphery of the door.

While this invention vhas been disclosed in a particular form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but may be practiced in other modifications without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A door assembly for a refrigerator cabinet comprising an outer door panel, an inwardly turned flange on said outer door panel extending around the peripheryA of said door and presenting a continuous unbroken planar Vbearing surface throughout the length of said flange, an inner door panel mounted adjacent said flange, a resilient extension on said inner door panel adapted to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to said bearing surface overlying said surface in spaced relation thereto and normally biased away therefrom, a door gasket including a flange disposed in contact with and supported upon said Vbearing surface extending beneath said resilient extension, said gasket including a tubular section joined to said gasket flange spaced from said bearing surface and said gasket flange, said tubution of said resilient extension whereby the convex portion of said extension is deflected inwardly upon said gasket flange toward said bearing surface upon closing of said door.

3. A door assembly for a refrigerator cabinet comprising an outer door panel, an inwardly turned flange on said outer door panel extending around the periphery of said door and presenting a continuous unbroken planar bearing surface throughout the length of said flange. an infer door panel mounted adjacent said flange, a

resilient section on said inner panel' adapted to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to said bearing surface overlying said surface in spaced relation thereto, a door gasket including a flange disposed in contact with and supported upon said bearing surface extending beneath said resilient section, said gasket including a tubular section joined to said gasket flange spaced from said bearing surface and said gasket flange, said l comprising an outer panel having an inwardly lar section overlying said resilient extension, said l tubular section presenting one surface adapted to contact said cabinet and a second surface in contact relation with said resilient extension whereby said extension is deflected inwardly upon said gasket flange toward said bearing surface upon closing of said door.

2. A door assembly for a refrigerator cabinet comprising "an outer door panel, an inwardly turned flange on said outer door panel extend- -ing around the periphery of said door and presenting a continuous unbroken planar bearing surface throughout the length of said flange, an inner door panel, means for securing'said panels together, a resilient extension on said inner door panel adapted to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to said bearing surface overlying said surface in spaced relation thereto, said extension including a portion concave and a second convex with respect to said bearing surface, a door gasket including a flange disposed in contact relation with and supported upon said bearing surface extending beneath said resilient extension, said gasket including a tubular section spaced from said bearing surface and said gasket flange andjoined to said gasket flange, said tubular portion overlying said resilient extension, "said tubular section presenting one surface in contact relation with said cabinet and asecond surface in contact relation with ,theconcave porlation thereto, a door gasket including ailange turned flange extending around the periphery of said door and presenting a continuous unbroken planar bearing surface, an inner door panel mounted adjacent said flange. a resilient section on said inner panel adapted to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to said bearing surface overlying said bearing surface in spaced redisposed intermediate said resilient section and said bearing surface, said gasket including a tubular portion joined to said gasket flange and spaced from said bearing surface and gasket flange, said tubular portion overlying said resilient section, a raised rim on said resilient section extending outwardly toward said tubular portion of said gasket, said resilient section including a portion contacting said gasket flange laterally of said rim, said tubular portion presenting one surface in contact with said cabinet, said raised rim contacting the under surface of said tubular portion, and said resilient section being disposed in contact with said gasket flange when said -door is closed. Y

- JOHN W. NORRISH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,029,845 Vars Feb. 4, 1936 2,339,566 Goulooze Jan. 18, 1944 2,406,629 Petkwitz Aug. 27, 1946 

